X-ray, Optical & Infrared Images of IDCS J1426.5+3508
Astronomers have made the most detailed study yet of an extremely massive young galaxy cluster using three of NASA's Great Observatories. These multi-wavelength images show this galaxy cluster, IDCS J1426.5+3508, in X-rays from Chandra, visible light from Hubble, and infrared light from Spitzer. This rare galaxy cluster weighs almost 500 trillion Suns and it was observed when the Universe was less than a third of its current age. It is the most massive galaxy cluster detected at such an early epoch, and, thus, has important implications for understanding how these mega-structures formed and evolved in the young Universe.
(Credit: X-ray: NASA/CXC/University of Missouri-Kansas City/M.Brodwin et al; Optical: NASA/STScI; Infrared: JPL/CalTech)